Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones finished another grueling workout off to the side with the team’s training staff Tuesday, while the rest of the team trudged through OTA No. 7.

He’s battling back from right foot surgery that knocked him out of last season after just five games. Without Jones, the Falcons, who were already off to a bad start, things started spiraling downhill faster and eventually derailed the bid to reach the Super Bowl.

With Jones out along with a host of others, the team posted a 4-12 record.

Jones, who left the field along with linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, is targeting the beginning of the season for his return to action.

“The last couple of weeks, I’ve been cutting and running a handful of routes,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a one-on-one interview on Monday. “Nothing major, but you’ve got to start somewhere. We have to get back out there and get going, but I feel pretty good.”

Jones, who had surgery in mid-October, still has several restrictions. While shooting a commercial for a nutritional drink company, he wasn’t allowed to jump to catch soft football tosses.